J*nas.De.Mey
25th October 2012, 13:21
Neuroprotective lifestyles and the aging brain
Objectives: Increased participation in leisure and physical activities may be cognitively protective. Whether activity might protect the integrity of the brain's white matter, or reduce atrophy and white matter lesion (WML) load, was examined in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n = 691), a longitudinal study of aging.
Methods: Associations are presented between self-reported leisure and physical activity at age 70 years and structural brain biomarkers at 73 years. For white matter integrity, principal components analysis of 12 major tracts produced general factors for fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity. Atrophy, gray and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) volumes, and WML load were assessed using computational image processing methods; atrophy and WML were also assessed visually.
Results: A higher level of physical activity was associated with higher FA, larger gray and NAWM volumes, less atrophy, and lower WML load. The physical activity associations with atrophy, gray matter, and WML remained significant after adjustment for covariates, including age, social class, and health status. For example, physical activity (standardized β = −0.09, nonstandardized β = −0.09, p = 0.029) and stroke (standardized β = 0.18, nonstandardized β = 0.69, p = 0.003) each had an independent effect on rated WML load. Leisure activity was associated with NAWM volume, but was nonsignificant after including covariates.
Conclusions: In this large, narrow-age sample of adults in their 70s, physical activity was associated with less atrophy and WML. Its role as a potential neuroprotective factor is supported; however, the direction of causation is unclear from this observational study.
Bron:
http://www.neurology.org/content/79/17/1802
Korte samenvatting:
Onderzoek bij mensen tussen 70 en 73 jaar heeft aangetoond dat voldoende lichaamsbeweging op oudere leeftijd ook de gezondheid van de hersenen beïnvloed. Gevolgen van goede lichaamsbeweging zijn onder andere: Verminderde afname van hersencelactiviteit, een verminderde kans op hersenafwijkingen en minder atrofie (dit wil zeggen dat er minder weefsel verdwijnt en dus dat we onze hersencellen langer behouden voor ze afstervfen).
Eigen mening:
Dit toont maar weer aan dat lichaamsbeweging een verplicht onderdeel van ons leven zou moeten zijn. Het helpt niet alleen om ons fit en sterk te houden, het zorgt ervoor dat we slimmer blijven en dat onze hersens minder gevoelig zijn aan allerlei ziektes. Hoewel het onderzoek enkel op oudere mensen getest is, ben ik er zeker van dat dit ook geldt voor jongere mensen.
Objectives: Increased participation in leisure and physical activities may be cognitively protective. Whether activity might protect the integrity of the brain's white matter, or reduce atrophy and white matter lesion (WML) load, was examined in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (n = 691), a longitudinal study of aging.
Methods: Associations are presented between self-reported leisure and physical activity at age 70 years and structural brain biomarkers at 73 years. For white matter integrity, principal components analysis of 12 major tracts produced general factors for fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity. Atrophy, gray and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) volumes, and WML load were assessed using computational image processing methods; atrophy and WML were also assessed visually.
Results: A higher level of physical activity was associated with higher FA, larger gray and NAWM volumes, less atrophy, and lower WML load. The physical activity associations with atrophy, gray matter, and WML remained significant after adjustment for covariates, including age, social class, and health status. For example, physical activity (standardized β = −0.09, nonstandardized β = −0.09, p = 0.029) and stroke (standardized β = 0.18, nonstandardized β = 0.69, p = 0.003) each had an independent effect on rated WML load. Leisure activity was associated with NAWM volume, but was nonsignificant after including covariates.
Conclusions: In this large, narrow-age sample of adults in their 70s, physical activity was associated with less atrophy and WML. Its role as a potential neuroprotective factor is supported; however, the direction of causation is unclear from this observational study.
Bron:
http://www.neurology.org/content/79/17/1802
Korte samenvatting:
Onderzoek bij mensen tussen 70 en 73 jaar heeft aangetoond dat voldoende lichaamsbeweging op oudere leeftijd ook de gezondheid van de hersenen beïnvloed. Gevolgen van goede lichaamsbeweging zijn onder andere: Verminderde afname van hersencelactiviteit, een verminderde kans op hersenafwijkingen en minder atrofie (dit wil zeggen dat er minder weefsel verdwijnt en dus dat we onze hersencellen langer behouden voor ze afstervfen).
Eigen mening:
Dit toont maar weer aan dat lichaamsbeweging een verplicht onderdeel van ons leven zou moeten zijn. Het helpt niet alleen om ons fit en sterk te houden, het zorgt ervoor dat we slimmer blijven en dat onze hersens minder gevoelig zijn aan allerlei ziektes. Hoewel het onderzoek enkel op oudere mensen getest is, ben ik er zeker van dat dit ook geldt voor jongere mensen.